2004 GMC Sierra - Into The Darkness

Sinister Airbrushing Covers This Slammed GMC's Sheetmetal

When it comes to custom paint, most truck builders put together an exact plan that includes the overall theme, individual design elements, specific paint codes, and a rendering showing the projected end result. However, this isn't always the case. When working with one of the most respected painters in the industry, sometimes it's better to just hand over the keys and say, “Make it cool.” Max Maxwell of Magnolia, Texas–based Maxed Out Designs, is one such painter, having airbrushed numerous Truckin feature builds over the years. Knowing Max's reputation, 26-year-old Stacy Sopchak of Huffman, Texas, decided to drop his '04 Sierra off at the shop with minimal instructions. It's obvious that this decision paid off, since this 'bagged black beauty is packed with staggering detail.

Before leaving his truck in Max's capable hands, Stacy wanted to achieve the perfect stance, so he began by tearing down the suspension. At Stacy's shop, SRS Customs, the GMC received several new components from Ekstensive, including control arms, a quartet of Firestone 2600 airbags, ½-inch copper lines and valves, and dual Air Zenith compressors. Also installed was an Ekstensive two-link setup with a track bar. The new air suspension dropped the truck a full 14 inches, but Stacy still wanted more, so he cut out a 2¾-inch body drop. Now that his Sierra could hit the ground at the flip of a switch, Stacy topped it all off with a set of 26-inch U2 wheels and Clear tires.

With the suspension finished up, the truck was ready to be delivered to Maxed Out Designs. Stacy's only request was that the truck be black with red graphics and some cool airbrushing, and Max took it from there. Bodywork began with shaving the tailgate, taillights, and adding a roll pan, all of which created a smooth canvas across the rear of the bed. The remainder of the truck was left stock, with the exception of bolting on a black billet grille and some halo headlights. Max Maxwell laid down a coat of PPG Jet Black, then masked off large tear graphics across the cab, bed, and hood. That's where the real magic began, as Max spent countless hours airbrushing Day of the Dead–themed ominous skulls and gorgeous girls in PPG Red Ice Pearl paint. As is usually true of Max's work, the level of detail is astonishing, and even carries over to the wheel lips. After the paint dried, Stacy was awestruck at the piece of rolling art his truck had become. “When I came to pick it up, I was blown away.”

To complete his show-winning truck with an extreme interior, Stacy took the truck to Chris Beasly at Phoenix Audio in Little Rock, Arkansas. There, a custom center console was designed to house three 12-inch Rockford Fosgate subs, as well as an iPad. The remainder of the truck's system consists of Rockford Fosgate 6½-inch speakers, Rockford Fosgate amps, and a Pioneer double-DIN head unit. To further clean up the interior, the dash, console, and panels were painted black by Keith Graves at 3rd Coast Designs in Houston, and the remainder of the interior was wrapped in black and red leather by Young's Upholstery in Humble, Texas.

Even though the truck has won several trophies for best paint and best graphics, Stacy doesn't keep it hidden away in his garage under a cover the rest of the year. He's so proud of the results of his build, he drives the truck to work at least three days a week. We can't blame him, since this slammed black and red sled is truly jaw-dropping. Stacy would like to thank Max at Maxed Out Designs, Keith at 3rd Coast Designs, Taylor at Tuned by Taylor, Ekstensive, his friends and family, and of course his loving wife Jazzmin for supporting him throughout the project.

"When I came to pick it up from Max's shop, I was blown away.-Stacy Sopchak"